In a Nutshell

Seasoned photographers lead students through digital photography classes with step-by-step instruction during interactive chats & tutorials

The Fine Print

Promotional value expires Jul 11, 2012. Amount paid never expires.Limit 3 per person, may buy 3 additional as gifts. Online only. Valid only for option purchased.Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.

Chimpsy

In the days before mirrors, baseball players would collect their own baseball cards so they’d always know what they looked like, regardless of slugging percentage. Enjoy the preservative nature of photographs with today’s Groupon to Chimpsy. Choose from the following options:

For $49, you get a two-hour beginners online photography class (a $99 value). Available classes include:

Intro to Photoshop

Intro to Photoshop Elements

Getting to Know Lightroom <p>

For $69, you get a two-hour intermediate online photography class (a $149 value). Available classes include:

Learn to wield the power of both camera and computer, unleashing your inner Ansel Adams with Chimpsy’s many interactive online photography classes. In beginning or intermediate-level Photoshop sessions, skilled instructors guide students step-by-step through the process of bolstering their snapshots during interactive chat discussions and tutorials. Beginning students will learn the basics of retouching and adjusting images, while intermediate students will delve into the more advanced techniques of using contact sheets, batch processing, and violently shaking the monitor until the picture develops clearly. To further unearth the tools of Adobe’s powerful software, beginner-level Photoshop Elements classes teach students the basics of editing and adding filters during a 90-minute demo with instructor Mark Cafiero, while intermediate-level Photoshop Elements sessions allow more seasoned students to try their hand at making collages, CD and DVD jackets, and photo greeting cards that merrily depict the process of making the greeting cards. Additionally, the 90-minute Focus on Composition tutorial and Q&A imparts artistic tips and techniques, detailing the ways photographers translate the rule of thirds into expertly poised portraits and stunning ’scapes.

Otherwise, aid photographic ambition with a class in building your photography business, in which Cafiero, a Chimpsy co-founder, details tips to his success, including how to build a client roster, create an effective blog, and grow one’s portfolio. Chimpsy’s knowledgeable shutterbugs bestow adept explanations that aren’t encrypted in heavy jargon or Elvish, so students of all experience levels can easily apply the day’s instruction to their own photo-taking excursions.

Chimpsy

At the tender age of 6, Mark Cafiero received his first camera. Though it was broken and filled with cartoons his father had drawn of Mark and his sisters, that camera sparked an early interest in photography. Since then, that spark has erupted into a full-fledged passion, leading Mark to become a professional photographer who has snapped photos for hundreds of clients, including celebrities and professional athletes. To share his spark with others, Mark founded Chimpsy, an resource that helps photographers of all experience levels calibrate their skills with casual in-person and online classes.

Available in more than 30 cities across the nation, Chimpsy's two-hour crash course features a hands-on shooting session and campfire-style presentation on topics ranging from camera anatomy to photo composition. For home study, online classes help photographers—beginners and aspiring pros alike—get more from their pictures through two-hour video tutorials that cover photo-editing software, shooting tips and techniques, and steps on how to build a photography business. From the comfort of their bedrooms, students can watch these professional photographer-led tutorials live or replay previously recorded sessions. Along with instructional classes, Chimpsy offers shutterbugs a place to submit photos for contests with monthly prizes or for feedback from peers, pros, and sentient picture frames.